Mainland Portugal, place by place.

The capital and its surroundings: Moorish lanes in Alfama, the monuments of Belém, the romantic palaces of Sintra and a coastline that runs from Ericeira surf beaches to the limestone cliffs of Arrábida.

Porto's riverside and port lodges, the baroque churches of Braga, medieval Guimarães and the only national park in Portugal, Peneda-Gerês.

Demarcated in 1756 and listed by UNESCO, the Alto Douro is a landscape of schist terraces, family quintas and river bends best enjoyed slowly.

Between Lisbon and Porto lie Coimbra's historic university, the Gothic monasteries of Batalha and Alcobaça, Templar Tomar, the canals of Aveiro and the medieval walls of Óbidos.

A third of mainland Portugal and its quietest corner: Roman Évora, hilltop Monsaraz above the Alqueva lake, the frontier castles of Marvão and Castelo de Vide, and serious wine.

From the rugged west at Sagres to the lagoons of the Ria Formosa, the Algarve combines sea caves, old harbour towns and some of Europe's finest golf.